Monday, August 22, 2011

A SIGN ON THE HIGHWAY

OK, so God has a sense of humor.

And He once again showed me how he is the Master of Timing.

Last week I posted about a little Pity Party that I had. The post appeared on Wednesday. Well, early Wednesday morning, "The Hub" and I left to go out of town for a few days. I only had the chance to check the computer to see if the post had published, before I had to hop in the car and get going – (After the Blogger fiasco of earlier this year, I'm a little wary about *assuming* that posts get posted…just sayin').

All was well…except that I was feeling quite unsettled about the honest *baring of my soul.*

So, as mile after mile passed under the tires of our car, I was fretting…

And I was praying, too.

"Oh Lord, I hope people won't be offended by this post. Was I too honest? Will they think that I was being self-indulgent? Will people wonder why I didn't title it The Sharon Show??"

Just then I looked out the window.

And right at that moment we were passing a semi – you know, one of those huge trucks that scare you to death when you have to drive by them (or is that just me?). I digress – I looked over at the truck and glanced at the trucking company name…

Pride Transport.

Yup, that was the actual name.

And for a second I stopped mid-prayer. Was this a sign of conviction from God? Well, yes and no. At first, I had to laugh. It was just too ironic, too timely, not to have been humorous. Lord, You are a comedian!

But then I got to thinking.

What does pride really look like?

I think it's pretty easy to recognize it in its most obvious costume. There are plenty of people in the entertainment business that make a living out of being self-indulgent. Their faces are plastered all over magazines at the check-out lines at drugstores and supermarkets.

Oh, look at me – aren't you as wildly interested in every little tidbit of my life as I am?

What about television? How many versions of the same reality show can we watch? People talking about themselves, worrying about the most petty things, living the most extravagant lifestyles.

Oh, look at me – doesn't it concern you like it does me when I'm going to get my next Botox treatment?

And don't get me started on politics. It truly doesn't matter what party affiliation you belong to. I'm not sure that we can trust anyone. Just seems to me that all we're offered anymore is an endless parade of big, puffed up talking heads none of whom speak the truth – because their egos get in the way.

Oh, look at me – don't you think I can solve the problems of the world like I think I can?

So, pride – yeah, it's fairly recognizable…

But what is pride in its more subtle forms? What does pride look like when it dresses incognito?

Well, at least sometimes, it looks like us (like me, to tell the truth).

Pride is not just arrogance.

Sometimes it is a need for attention, approval, and accolades.

OUCH.

Last year, on Good Friday, we were asked during the service at our church to write down on cards something that we wanted God to *crucify* in us. (I wrote down three, by the way.) Then we went to wooden crosses set up in the building, and we literally nailed our cards (and what they represented) to the cross.

One of the things that I chose was my need for approval.

That was last year.

It occurs to me that perhaps it would have been more truthful if I had used a thumbtack because I have removed that particular issue from the cross so many times. Nailed (thumbtacked?) it back on the cross, taken it down and played around with it again, and then tried to nail it to the cross again…

You know why it's been so hard to let go of it?

Well, I'll tell you at least one reason. It's because God took me seriously.

And when you tell God you want to *crucify* something, you'd better be ready for how He's going to do it. It's probably not going to come in a neatly tied up package. Like this *approval* thing – did I just suddenly have this peaceful influx of humility into my heart?

NOPE.

What happened was that God started to carve away the pride.

God tells us, in no uncertain terms, that we should have no other gods before Him. I take that to heart.

But, God began to show me that although I don't worship idolsthere was a teeny, tiny Sharon *doll* on the shelf of my heart that I paid an awful lot of attention to…

And so, He got to work.

He's put me through refining fire, chiseled and molded, pulled and stretched, cut and scraped and scoured.

Oh Lord, aren't you done yet?

Evidently not – because I still have a little box of thumbtacks in my pocket…

This is the exquisite way that God works in us. He doesn't put band-aids on the sin-diseased spots – He uses alcohol to purify, He scrubs the infection cleanin other words, He digs around in the most painful areas so they can be healed.

He won't leave us alone.

He loves us too much.

Oh Lord, save me from myself – save me from my SELF.


(SIDENOTE: Sharon's Acrostic Dictionary defines pride this way:

P roudly and
R idiculously
I nsisting on
D oing
E verything

Doesn't that sound perfectly awful?)


Where is God digging around in your life?


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

18 comments:

  1. I did laugh right out loud when I read "Pride Transport". Could you love Him any more? I mean, really, what kind of God goes to so much trouble to meet us on the road in the way that HE KNOWS we will get it? Only ours.

    One of the several things (I'm a spiritual hot mess) that I struggle with is that exact same one, the need for approval. The post was excellent, and you are RIGHT. He does answer our prayer by chiseling it out of us. It's painful, too. It would be so much easier if he would just do a "voila!" and change it with a little jazz hand action.

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  2. You are right, Sharon, God does have a sense of humor and He definitely knows how to get our attention. I love your honesty in these posts. Great acronym. And I must say I totally understand about fretting after you have posted something to your blog.

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  3. Oh! I'm so there, Sharon. As a matter of fact, I think my comment on your pity party post was all about how I'm indulging in the same place. Randomly bursting into tears - I do so this morning again - and feeling shoved aside and quite the failure. Been a big year of mark missing - and much my own fault of "trying to do everything! Pride - you got it! So, here's hoping that Pride Transport transports my pride far and away! Lord, make the way!!

    Love ya!
    Kathy

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  4. Pride Transports...too good!
    This goes with my letting go of suitcases so I can run...yes, He loves us so much that He won't let us get away with anything....this is also the prayer I have for a prodigal...that God loves him so much he can't run....and that God will put the same signs in front of him that he can't deny the creator.

    Sharon...hugs....as God unloads all of us of the extra baggage we all carry, so we can finished what He has set before us and cross the finish line....with "well done my good and faithful servant"

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  5. I know this is right! He doe NOT let us alone when we want areas of our lives changed, and He knows it will be good for us to change.

    Having said that... I also LOVE that you were so honest. Usually when we do that, we find that others are struggling with the same things, and it's a lesson for everyone.

    God is busily changing The Sharon Show and The Sonja Show, and all the rest of us... into His show! :)

    Love you girl!

    xo

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  6. Once again a great word and so much to think
    about, Sharon. Loved this. You write in such
    a clever way and then hit us with a great
    punch that makes us stop and think about our
    lives in ways we may not have before.
    Blessings~

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  7. Hi Sharon,

    Thank you for this wise, thought provoking post. Lots to digest here.

    Have an awesome week - God Bless - Nita.

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  8. Well said with a hearty AMEN! I know that sometimes we say we'll lay our burdens down but if our response to God not handling it in our time frame doesn't appease us, we think well maybe I can fix it. Great post and one I took to heart today. Time to lay those burdens down and walk away.

    Love and Hugs ~ Kat

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  9. Oh Sharon - God does have a sense of humor and I know exactly what you are saying!

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  10. Great Post, Sharon!
    I too, suffer from the pangs of approval, the need to be liked and wanting to please.
    What happens is that we put other's approval above God's. I put other's approval above God's.
    OUch!
    I also put "what other's think" above "what God thinks". Double ouch!
    Thanks for your honesty and know that you are not in this fight alone- let's all work towards His leading, pleasing Him, getting His approval, and needing to be liked by HIM.
    Love you!

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  11. Sharon,
    That's just awesome - the whole post, really! "Pride Transports" - it made me laugh out loud, quite literally. But you are so right, and I found it incredibly potent how you put it "Pride is not just arrogance"! Thank you for this (very timely) reminder.

    God bless!
    Paula

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  12. And don't we all deal with this annoying sin of PRIDE. I like the definition of wanting to do it all. WOW! Did that hit home. I think the Lord has been working on humility (or trying to work on humility) in my life for years. I think I forgot He had a purpose in all of this.
    Thanks for another great post, Sharon. One we can take to heart.
    Blessings,
    Janis

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  13. Hi Sharon -

    Thank you for sharing this helpful post.

    Indeed, we all have our bouts of pride and our Lord is faithful in ALL things, including chastening us when we need it.

    He always knows what's best.

    THANK YOU, LORD!

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  14. I love it ~ Pride Transport. I do believe God has a sense of humor.

    Seriously though, I appreciate you being open and honest. I think it is best to show our vulnerabilites when we are in ministry. Otherwise, those we are reaching out to might think they could never relate to someone "too perfect."

    Love your acronym for pride.

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  15. Many sweet Blessings Sharon... Although I've read this earlier, I'm here hoping to leave an accolade or mark of approval (lol) once again on another well thought out and written message, on PRIDE and HUMILITY... but it's much to my liking to delight in the SIGNS and God's sense of humor. I was not sure whether to go back and comment or start with the current one... and I guess I needed to begin here with God's sense of humor
    (which is what was reflected in you and your writings and drew me to you and your blog). Then I discovered your rich insights and our similarities, and how much of a blessing you are.

    I digress. In the midst of your blog 'worrying' or how your true confession played out... God in all His glory and amazing sense of God-incidence (not coincidence)and sense of humor, He caught your attention with PRIDE Transport. He sent an entire semi... LOVE this! And something inside you clicked. God is such a comedian... however your 'pity party' (to me) was not tagged by pride.

    While off line, I was reading and going through some of my Notebook, specifically 'Hind's Feet' and I stopped on Chapter 5: labeled as "Encounter with pride" (through a study I came across) which says in the intro
    "Pride is much more than a five letter word. It is the very essence of Satan, whom the Bible indicates wanted to be worshiped as God. There’s no indication that his desires have changed, although his dire end is disclosed ! He is the embodiment of the anti-Christ spirit that John tells us is now operating to seduce the world into worshipping our adversary.

    There is no middle ground here. Either you worship our Father in Spirit and in truth, or by default your life worships the prince of the power of the air.

    Pride touches the core of our earthly identity. It is part of our ego, the driving force behind our quest for recognition, importance, and feeling good about ourselves. Pride affects all humans to one degree or another. But in Jesus Christ, pride becomes confronted by His desire that we learn humility — to esteem others above ourselves, and to serve them in His Name."


    Another God-incidence. You know how I overshare
    (I will send this study on Chapter 5 to you)
    but since most have already been here, I took the liberty once again.

    You are so spot on once again and share from your heart. I love this and YOU! You opened my eyes once again to see 'me'...OUCH. And this was a new truth revealed to me about the dreaded
    pride
    when you wrote how it looks incognito.
    Ouch! Strike me again. Yet the most beautiful part was when you shared the 'nailing to the cross'...cuz I have done that... never thought how my nails were just thumbtacks or finer, pins... ready and pliable to be stuck in but bent whenever we were not aware and watchful.

    Thanks for NAILING this one for my good and yours as we watch the Potter (once again) chisel and refine. I chuckled again (at your own points of humor)(box of thumb tacks). Yep, I needed this one and the humor ... Purify us Lord... ever so gently but let's get rid of the impurities so we can reflect more of You!
    Pride be gone and HUMILITY fill us. Don't let us conform to the "reality show" stuff and this world but be transformed, molded and melted into Your heart and You... (sigh) Thank You!

    Love and hugs,
    Peggy
    (you caught up on everything on WAITING last night, must have taken an hour. Bless you. I treasured and starred every one of your words to me... precious just wonderfully cherished by me)

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  16. I had no idea that so many people would be familiar with *Pride Transport*!

    Oh, don't we all have so much to learn about humility!

    Thank you for your kind words of support. You know how much they mean to me! (And in the good way - not the need for approval way - LOL!) I pray that you also understand how much I cherish each one of you, and the way that you minister in my life with words of encouragement and inspiration - and a challenge and conviction sometimes, too.

    May we continue to yield our wills to the perfect will of our Father, as we bear our crosses and earnestly follow His Son, by the power of the humbling Spirit within us.

    GOD BLESS!

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  17. Well again I come upon one of your posts that ring so true. I just recently post It's been a sweet week which included an award I got from another blogger. Problem was I had to reveal 7 things about myself. As I never blog much personal about myself it was hard to reveal some things about myself. Over and over I kept changing them or I am exposing too much. Afraid that I will be judged or opening up to much that could later come back and get me hurt some way. I do get a bit personally on my comments at peoples blogs but normally not on my own. We will always have to battle with pride. But will only find true happiness when we can let it go and just let God led us rather then letting pride lead us.

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  18. Such true words, Carrie. God is the only One who can give us the correct balance of humility and self-respect. I'm usually falling on one side or the other - being prideful, or tearing myself down.

    It's tough to be vulnerable - and yet, such a blessing can be received when we let down our defenses and share.

    Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. I'm in total agreement with your sentiment - true happiness can ONLY be found in letting God lead...

    GOD BLESS!

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)